Theresa May has warned that a "new trend" of terrorism as she unveiled a new tough crackdown following the London Bridge terror attack.

The Prime Minister declared "enough is enough" today in a damning speech - her second response to a terror attack outside Downing Street in less than two weeks.

She said "difficult and often embarrassing conversations" were needed at home, warning: "There is to be frank far too much tolerance of extremism in our country."

Seven people were slaughtered last night by three knife-wielding terrorists who ploughed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge.

"Many" of the 48 injured have life-threatening conditions, the Prime Minister said.

May said last night's massacre of was not directly connected to the Manchester Arena bombing.

But she added: "We believe we are experiencing a new trend in the threat we face as terrorism breeds terrorism."

She said attacks are now inspired "by copying one another and often using the crudest of means of attack".

And she declared: "We cannot and must not pretend that things can continue as they are."

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

(Image: REUTERS)

Mrs May outlined a four-pronged strategy, including better detection of extremism within British communities and tougher jail sentences.

And she signalled a fresh crackdown against internet giants, accusing large firms of allowing Islamist ideology "the safe space to breed".

It was not immediately clear how much of the proposed policy was new.

The Prime Minister said security and intelligence services have disrupted "five credible plots" since the Westminster attack in March.

She said the recent attacks, while not directly linked, "are bound together by the single evil ideology of Islamist extremism."

She added: "It is an ideology that is a perversion of Islam and a perversion of the truth. Defeating this ideology is one of the great challenges of our time."

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

(Image: REUTERS)

Confirming police accounts of the attack, Mrs May said: "Three terrorists left the van and attacked innocent and unarmed civilians with blades and knives."

They wore supposed suicide vests but the "clothing was fake and worn only to spread panic and fear."

She praised police for shooting the three suspects dead within eight minutes of the first alert.

"As so often in such serious situations, the police responded with great courage and great speed," she said.

Mrs May confirmed general election campaigns "will resume in full tomorrow", adding: "Violence can never be allowed to disrupt the democratic process."

She finished her statement by saying: "United, we will take on and defeat our enemies."

Seven people died and 48 were injured last night when a van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge and three knife-wielding men jumped out, stabbing people at random around nearby Borough Market.

Earlier government minister David Davis warned the terror attacks in London and Manchester "may well be" timed to disrupt the general election - which would go ahead as planned this Thursday.

Mr Davis also insisted it was not the wrong decision to downgrade Britain's terror threat from critical to severe just days ago and said "lone packs of wolves" attacks may be "impossible" to stop.

He told the BBC: "The people doing this are doing this because they despise the freedoms we have. Those freedoms can be the freedom to go out on Saturday night, or the freedom to cast a vote.

"It may be, we don't know - at least I don't know, I'm not briefed this morning on this - but I don't know whether or not they are deliberately trying to disrupt the general election or whether this is a coincidence of timing.

"It may well be, in which case, all the more reason not to defer, not to deflect, to as far as possible within the grounds of propriety not let this put us off course."